Here are some general grocery shopping tips to make the most of your coupons, your store’s sales and your time! There’s a lot of information here, so take it in a little at a time if you need to.
Keep a running list during the week of items that you are out of or nearly out of. Try not to run out to the store for just one item. You KNOW you’ll get more than just the one item and you’re wasting time and gas.
Before shopping, look at the sale ads and compare them to your coupons. Plan your meals for the week around items that you already have and are on sale. If you are able to buy mostly sale items, you’ll see a great difference in your final total.
Remember that for the most part, you can use a store coupon and a manufacturer’s coupon on the same product. You can also combine sales and coupons. Today, I bought toothpaste that was on sale, and I had a $2.00 store coupon, and a $.75 manufacturer’s coupon. I bought a good name-brand toothpaste today for $.75. Be careful, though, that you really are using one of each kind. For example, most of HEB’s coupons in store are actually manufacturer’s coupons. Look in the bottom corner and if it says “M” it is manufacturer’s, and if it says “S” it is store.
Watch for super buy one get one free deals. If your store is doing a buy one get one free on X and you have a manufacturer’s coupon for buy one get one free on X, you can actually get both free! I got several free bottles of Sobe a couple months ago with a deal like that.
If you find something marked down to a great price, if it is something that will keep and you use often, buy a few. Designate a space for these extras. I have a Rubbermaid tub where I keep non-food items that I’ve bought cheaply but don’t have use for quite yet, such as toothpaste, mouthwash, deodorant, laundry detergent. If you do this for many of the items you use most often, you will find that you don’t have to buy things at full price quite so often. I haven’t bought laundry detergent, mouthwash, deodorant or toothpaste for full price since Christmas.
It may be helpful to you to put your grocery list in the order that they are found in the store. It makes for a quicker trip and there is less backtracking, so you are less likely to find items that are not on your list.
That being said, stick to your list! Don’t let those unneeded items find their way into your cart. If you find a great deal you weren’t expecting, consider it carefully, and if it is worth it and won’t blow your budget, go ahead and get it. And this statement works both ways. Stick to your list. I went to CVS today and cut four items off my list, which meant I couldn’t use the $5/$30 coupon I had. I figured that those other things I didn’t need at the moment, and I was trying to pare down my costs, seeing as it’s getting close to payday . . . and of course that means the budget is getting a little tighter. And when I got out of the store, I realized that the five items I bought would have been just about equal to what the nine items would have cost after I added in my other coupons.
If you are serious about saving and have the time, shop more than one store. Be wise about this because you don’t want to spend more gas and time than you are saving, but some weeks, I go to HEB, CVS and Walgreens, if the deals are good enough.
Don’t assume that Wal-Mart is cheapest!! Wal-Mart may be cheapest if you aren’t watching sales and coupons, but once you add those in, a regular grocery store may be better. Do some research and make sure you really are shopping where you are getting the best deals, whether it is Wal-Mart or some other place.
Don’t assume that bigger packages or bulk stores are cheaper. Be aware of unit prices. Usually the unit price is marked on the price tag.
Take advantage of shoppers’ cards and loyalty cards. Also be aware of the coupon policies at the stores you shop. Most of those are available online.
Buy in-season vegetables and fruit. Consider trying out the local farmer’s market.
Don’t be brand-specific. As much as possible, be flexible as to the brands you buy. At the least, choose a few brands that you like. That way, if your favorite is not on sale, another brand may be and you still get a good deal. Sometimes we just have to be brand-specific, but where possible, try out others. And don’t be afraid of trying generic.
Pay attention to what your coupon SAYS. The picture is not quite as important. Often a coupon will be put out with a picture of the most expensive option and then it says “any variety” so you could use it on the least expensive option. Sometimes coupons say what sizes are allowed or will say any size. Sometimes you have to buy more than one of an item to use the coupon.
If you’re shopping for many people, consider buying more than one paper a week. I buy one a week, and I get the coupons from the newspaper at work. For two people, that is plenty. But if you have a large household, you might want more. Just make sure your time clipping and sorting is balanced by the money you’re saving.
If you have any tips that I didn’t put here, please let me know, and I’ll post it. If you need more clarification on anything, don’t hesitate to ask!
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